David Halberstam, 1934-2007

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist David Halberstam was killed in a car accident this morning. He was 73.

Although he wrote books on many topics including politics and culture, Red Sox and Yankees fans know him best as the author of Summer of '49, about the early Red Sox/Yankees rivalry. He also wrote October 1964, which revisits the Yankees-Cardinals World Series of that year, and The Teammates, about the lasting friendships of Red Sox legends Bobby Doerr, Dom DiMaggio, Johnny Pesky and Ted Williams.

Click here for an interview about The Teammates.

I'm usually hesitant to read sports non-fiction because I find often it can feel like reading old newspapers. Halberstam had a subtle way of adding a humanity to these revered ballplayers that lesser writers would never touch for fear of diminishing the reputations of the all-time greats.

My favorite of the three is the classic Summer of '49. For younger fans of the Red Sox and Yankees, you'll see just how far back the rivalry extends, with Joe DiMaggio's Yanks fighting off Ted Williams and the upstart Red Sox.